My Turn
by President ORB
Summary: Ever since he turned 14, Corey's been having some "dramatic flashes" and the band wonders if this means Corey can finally start using his own lyrics and stop stealing from Trina's diary. But what happens when emotions run high, drama gets out of hand, and a long-standing sibling rivalry comes to a sudden end? Pairings: CxL, established MxN. Rated for some violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

**My Turn - Chapter One**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 1637**

**Warnings: Some language**

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**I do not own Grojband.**

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_Only two more days,_ Corey smiled to himself. He ecstatically waited for one of his favorite days of every year-his birthday! In only two days, he would be turning fourteen, and he could hardly believe it. In less than forty-eight hours, he'd be able to learn to drive a car, own a moped, and no longer have to order from the kiddie menu in restaurants! He couldn't wait!

His excitement caused the sleepless night that had just passed, and he made his way to the kitchen with a smirk and a good attitude, despite the circumstances. Corey glanced around before entering once he was sure there was no Trina in the vicinity. He pulled out some cereal and a bowl, and sat down at the table. A buzz from his pocket and he took out his cell phone, finding a text from Laney.

_Running late. Be there in 20._

Oh, right, they were supposed to practice early today to make up for skipping out a few days ago in favor of seeing that new Bicheal May movie (which really wasn't worth it, sadly enough). He looked down at the empty bowl and frowned.

He could do without breakfast just this once, he figured. Corey got up and put the unused breakfast supplies back, rushing back to his room to change before the band showed up for practice.

He turned a corner to go into the hallway to his room and smacked right into his pink-haired sister, Trina. She let out an exasperated growl as she shot him a glare and got back to her feet.

"Look where you're goin', dork!" she bellowed, pushing past him as he sat up. Corey merely rolled his eyes as he stood up and finally got back to his room to change.

"Ugh! Corey, those stupid dweebs you call friends are here!" He heard Trina shout from the kitchen. Geez, he only just got upstairs! He couldn't get two seconds to do anything today!

He rushed around, grabbing whatever clothes looked clean enough to wear and pulled them on, adjusting his hat before making his way back downstairs for the second time that morning.

"I'm comin', guys! Hold on!" he called down the steps.

He skipped the last three steps on the staircase and flipped around the corner to see Kin and Kon snickering loudly from right outside the kitchen.

He walked over, only to hear a loud screech from the kitchen and covered his ears. Trina ran out of the kitchen, her hair dripping with skim milk.

"Aagghhhh! Corey! You and your stupid friends are so dead!" she screamed as she stomped back to her room, speed-dialing Mina furiously on her way. Meanwhile, Kin and Kon were laughing, trying not to fall over from hysterics.

"What did you guys do?" Corey asked, amused. Kin snickered again, replying,

"She just left the bowl there..." he laughed, "and I've been itching to prank somebody with this miniature propulsion device! It was her own fault!"

Kon held his stomach, getting out the last laugh.

Corey rolled his eyes.

"Come on, dude. We're here to practice, not push Trina into another meltdown. Let's get to the garage."

The twins shrugged and followed him outside to the garage. They stopped as they noticed Mina was already running up the driveway, hurrying to get up the steps with her hands full of hair curlers and straighteners and combs. Corey eyed her for only a moment, and then opened up the garage and the trio walked inside.

"Lanes said she'll be running a little late, so we just gotta warm up 'til she gets here," he told them, looking around for his guitar case.

He checked the side of the stage, but it wasn't there. It wasn't behind the couch, nor was it by Trina's car. Where the heck did it go?

_It's not like it could have just sprouted legs and walked off, right?_ Corey frowned. He went back to the stage as Kin plugged in his keyboard.

"What's the problem, Corey?" he asked curiously. Corey checked all over the garage again, still without luck.

_Where the heck did it go?_ he worried.

"MINA! Don't just stand there! Fix my perfect hair! Make my hair perfect again NOW!"

Corey's eyes narrowed. Maybe Trina knew where his guitar mysteriously disappeared to?

He bolted up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Trina! Where'd you put my guitar?!" he shouted.

An angry growl rumbled from behind the door and it flung open, revealing his sister, with the ugliest-looking hairdo he'd ever seen. Corey instantly held in a laugh, but as Trina glared him down, the laugh instantly disappeared.

"What do you want, Corey?" she gritted her teeth as Mina started combing out her hair.

"My guitar," Corey remembered, glaring back, "where did you put it?"

Trina scoffed,

"Please, why would I take your stupid toy?"

"It's not a toy, Trina!" he yelled. "Now, where'd you put it?!"

Trina didn't falter, merely rolling her eyes.

"Aw, did you lose it? That's too bad! I guess you'll, like, never get to play that stupid music ever again! Better go break up the band now and get a new hobby while you still can!" she smiled triumphantly.

Corey stared back at her, unamused.

"Just give it back, and I'll consider leaving you alone today, alright?" he offered. Trina looked unimpressed.

"Like, _yeah, right_."

She turned around and slammed the door in his face.

Corey bit his lip, trying to keep his anger down.

"Trina! I mean it!" he shouted, and knocked on the door loudly. "Trina! Come on!"

He stole a quick glance back at their practice stage to see Kin and Kon staring up at him with confused looks. He took a deep breath, and turned back around to open Trina's door.

"Agh! Corey! Get out of here!"

He barged inside and looked around. His guitar was in here somewhere, he knew it. Trina seethed after him as he rushed over and looked in her closet, under her bed, and behind her door. There it was!

"AHA!" he shouted in victory, grabbing his case and hugging it happily. He knew he'd find it. Now he could go back to having a nice, normal day with the guys...

"Gimme that!" Trina shouted, grabbing onto the case, pulling it out of Corey's grasp. His eyes quickly narrowed and he reached out, pulling it back. A tug of war quickly broke out between them, and Trina yelled at Mina to help her. Mina rushed over, helping pull her back as Corey's grasp started to loosen.

"Erg, no!" Corey reached around the neck-end of the case, trying to pull back as hard as he could. Trina grimaced and then quickly smirked before letting go of the case completely.

"Agh!" Corey let out as he flew back into the wall behind him, knocking the case right into his face, smashing the bridge of his nose.

"TRINA! WHAT THE-WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM TODAY?!" Corey furiously belted-out, getting to his feet faster than ever before. Trina almost staggered back, but Mina being there kept her in place. She glared and shouted back,

"I JUST WANT SOME PEACE AND QUIET FOR ONCE, COREY! IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW, YOU'RE ALWAYS A PAIN IN THE ASS AND TODAY'S NO EXCEPTION!"

"OH, LOOK WHO FINALLY LEARNED SOME BIG WORDS!"

Trina gasped dramatically. How dare he say that?

"YOU-you take that back!" she swallowed. Corey stepped forward, anything but threatened.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST STEP OFF AND STOP TRYING TO STEAL MY STUFF!"

Mina took the quick break of silence to interject, offering,

"Uhh, w-why don't we just-"

But Trina and Corey both glared right at her,

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" they shouted in unison before turning back to glare at each other.

"If anyone has a problem, it's YOU, Corey! Get out of my room before I make Mina make you!" Trina folded her arms across her chest, convinced this was her final word.

"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Corey copied his sister's pose. Slowly, he blinked. Wait, he didn't want to stay in Trina's room...

"Not...until you apologize!" he added quickly, keeping his glare on Trina. She rolled her eyes,

"Yeah, right. I'm not gonna do that."

Corey bent down and picked up his guitar case. His adrenaline was still pumping crazily through his veins but maybe it was better to just stop now. He glanced out the door, and heard the garage door opening. Laney was here.

He jumped back up and headed to the door,

"I gotta go, but I'll be back for that apology later, Trina!"

He ran back downstairs, watching as Laney shrugged off her bag and climbing up on stage with her bass.

"Sorry, my mom needed help with...something," she told them, cringing a bit at the last word. Kin and Kon looked towards Corey as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"It's okay. Corey decided to keep us waiting anyway..." Kin explained, eyeing him. Corey frowned,

"Yeah, sorry, guys," he told them.

Kon looked at him worriedly,

"I don't think I've ever heard you yell like that before."

Corey pulled out his guitar, checking it over carefully.

"Trina thought she could steal my guitar. I wasn't just going to stand there and let it happen," he said casually.

Laney smirked,

"That's my Core; always stickin' up for the band."

"Well, the band'd be nothin' without this awesome artist right here-" he quickly riffed a spew of chords, filling the garage with new sound and a big smile appeared on his face, "so, you're welcome."

Laney rolled her eyes.

"Are we gonna practice or what?" she asked. Corey smiled, nodding.

"Count us in, Kon!"


	2. Chapter 2

**My Turn - Chapter Two**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 1097**

**Warnings: None this chapter**

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**I do not own Grojband.**

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Their practice had gotten over and the band was sitting in Corey's living room, mindlessly watching TV. Kin and Kon took up the couch, leaving Corey and Laney to squeeze in on the sides. They were watching a rerun of a crime drama, the whole lot of them groaning at the unnecessary puns.

"Seriously? Do they have to keep making these stupid jokes?" Kin shook his head.

"Maybe it's just a new form of torture for the criminals?" Corey offered with a shrug.

Kon smiled,

"That's one heck of a _pun_ishment-"

"Kon, I swear to God, I will smack you," Laney threatened, elbowing him playfully. He stifled a laugh as the show went to a commercial break.

"I think we need some munchies," Kon stated. His brother smirked, replying,

"I concur. Shall we make snacks?"

He hopped off the couch, causing Corey to fall into the empty spot. Kon soon followed,

"I believe we shall," he told him, and they headed off to the kitchen as Laney plopped over into the next empty spot on the couch. Laney glanced over as Corey cracked a smile.

"What do you know? This couch _can_ be comfy," he laughed. Laney smirked in his direction,

"It's a loveseat, Core. It's supposed to seat two."

"Well, somebody better tell Kin he's gotta find a new spot, 'cause I'm not givin' this one back!"

Laney laughed, and Corey looked over, smiling at her smile. He could never get enough of that. Laney subtly scooted closer, and he glanced down a moment, realizing their hands had just touched.

_Uhh..._

There was that thing again. He wasn't stupid enough to not know what that was, but he sure was smart enough to know not to bring it up. He shouldn't be weirded out by his hand barely touching Laney's. And he really shouldn't feel like her smiling was the most important thing in the world.

The problem was...he _did_ feel weird, and it _was_ important.

He heard a popping noise start coming from the kitchen. The twins must have decided to make some popcorn. He wondered how long they'd be in there, glancing into the hall to try and see into the kitchen, but no luck.

"Hey, Core?"

He whipped his head back around, finding Laney giving him an expectant look.

"Uhh, y-yeah, Lanes?"

She looked past him a moment, confused, asking,

"What were you lookin' at?"

Corey's eyes darted back to the hall, and he laughed weakly a moment.

"I was just, uhh... wondering how long until the guys would get back...?"

Laney's expression brightened for a moment before she looked away.

_What was that?_ Corey frowned. Before he could ask, Laney turned toward him, her features back to normal.

"Well, what are we gonna do until then?" She asked, smirking as if it were a joke. Corey felt the end of his lip twitch up and he looked down, noticing he was also bouncing his knee.

A ringing noise sounded from the kitchen, followed by a synchronous cheer. The popcorn was ready.

Corey stood up, running over to the hall.

"Where are you going?" Laney asked. Corey turned the corner before popping his head back around to tell her,

"Gonna help with the popcorn!"

And then he was gone again.

"We're not adding more butter, Kon," Kin remarked, pulling the container from his brother's hands. Kon groaned,

"Awww..."

Corey walked in, a weak smile still on his face.

"Oh, hey, Corey!" Kon waved. Kin turned around and gave him a smile, saying,

"We were just about to bring out the popcorn."

"Cool, cool," Corey nodded, rubbing at his arm. Kin and Kon started back towards the living room, but Corey didn't follow.

"Uhm, ya comin', Corey?" Kin asked, giving him an odd look. Corey crossed his arms,

"Uhh, yeah. Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

Kin and Kon exchanged a silent look before shrugging and heading into the living room.

"Was that weird?" Kon asked. Kin nodded,

"Very weird."

Corey exhaled loudly. What the heck was wrong with him? His brain felt like it had gone fuzzy, making it hard to think about anything at all. What was going on?

He walked over to the sink, figuring a drink of water would help. As he chugged down the glass, he heard the front door open and Trina talking away.

He frowned. After this morning, he really didn't want to deal with his sister right now. Tossing the cup in the sink, he rushed back towards the living room, only to smack right into someone else.

"Ah!"

"Ow! Ah, geez!"

Corey stumbled back, catching himself on the wall. He shook his head as he realized Laney was sitting on the floor in front of him, clutching her head.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry, Lanes!" He panicked, holding out his hand to help her up. She grabbed his hand and pushed herself up.

"It's no problem, Core," she told him. "I was just going to see what was keepin' you."

Corey frowned. Right. That.

"Oh, uhh... Well..."

He racked his brain, only to find the fuzziness had already returned. He couldn't quite decide if he liked that feeling or hated it.

"It's nothing," he lied. "Now, uhh, let's get back to those terrible puns!"

Laney rolled her eyes,

"Pfft, yeah, alright," she replied. She glanced down, realizing she was still holding his hand.

"Oh..." Her face reddened. Corey looked down and quickly pulled his hand away, shoving it in his pocket.

"Oh! Ha, ha...ha, how did I forget? Ha, that's so..." Corey fidgeted. "So funny..."

Laney frowned and looked away again.

"You're missing the show, guys!" Kin called to them. Laney turned and walked back into the living room.

"Give me that spot back, Kon," she smirked.

"Nu-uh," he smiled. "If you had stayed here, I would have found a different spot. But your butt wasn't here, so mine had to take over."

Corey walked in, squatting down on the floor in front of the couch. Laney jumped up on the armrest again, squeezing next to Kon with a frown.

Corey sighed dejectedly. What was with him today? He blew up at Trina, and now he's being all weird around Laney. Even Kin and Kon have noticed the weirdness.

_Since when am I this dramatic?_ He shook his head, smirking._ I'm acting like Trina. Next thing I know, I'll be going diary and stalkin' Nick..._

He finally let out a laugh. _Yeah, like that'll ever happen!_


	3. Chapter 3

**My Turn - Chapter Three**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 2998**

**Warnings: Some language, Corey not getting his way**

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**I do not own Grojband. **

**Also, this chapter is rather dialogue-heavy! (And I used far too many italicises!) I'm sorry about that!**

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_One more day,_ Corey smiled as he clambered down the steps into the garage. The twins had already arrived, as usual, and they were all waiting for Laney to come back with some news. Hopes were high and fingers were crossed for a new gig.

Corey was enjoying the silence while it lasted, though. Ever since Trina threw a fit at dinner the night before, she had disappeared to Mina's for an impromptu sleepover. She hopefully wouldn't be back home until much later, giving their band ample time to practice for the new gig Laney had promised to get for them.

_If this goes as great as I know it will, it'll be like an early birthday present!_ Corey grinned. Best pre-birthday ever!

The garage door promptly opened, and in walked Laney, triumphant smile on her face. Corey instantly rushed over, ready to hear the good news.

"What's the word, Lanes? Did we get it? What did we get? Is it _awesome_?!" He asked excitedly. Laney smiled, replying calmly,

"Cool J's Cafe is having its grand opening this afternoon and Grojband will be the entertainment for the event!"

The band cheered, running over to Laney for high-fives. Corey grabbed his guitar, but Laney told him to put it down. He turned back, confused. Laney let out a heavy sigh, and walked over, explaining,

"Sorry, Core, but Mayor Mellow is heading up the event. He said he wanted somethin' _mellow_ for the coffee shop opening."

She put a hand on Corey's shoulder, but quickly pulled it back.

"We have to play some smooth, jazzy, easy-listening tunes, or he'll kick us out and get somebody else," she continued sadly. Corey swiftly flipped around, slowly setting his guitar on their impromptu stage.

"But...but easy-listening is too _easy_! Nobody likes that stuff!" he pouted.

Kin rubbed his chin thoughtfully while Kon muttered, "It's not as bad as elevator music..."

"And jazz is cool!" Kin spoke up. "Can any of us play the sax?"

The boys shrugged to one another before Laney rolled her eyes.

"If I couldn't, would I even be here right now?" she uttered tediously.

Corey frowned, instantly wrapping his arm around Laney's tiny shoulders.

"Of course you would, Lanes!" he told her. "We need you for all the boring but still necessary stuff the rest of us have no clue how to do! We wouldn't be a real band without you!"

Laney smiled graciously up at Corey, but Kon dejectedly added,

"We're hardly a real band now."

_And there goes the mood..._ Corey retreated, folding his arms across his chest, annoyed.

"Hey, I'm working on the demo!" Kin argued. "The equipment is just a bit...faulty."

Laney laid her hands on her hips,

"We play a few more gigs and we'll be able to buy_ faultless_ equipment." she told them.

As Kin's smile returned, Kon was unimpressed.

"Seems kinda counterproductive," he quipped.

Corey groaned, bringing the attention in the room right back to him.

"Guys," he told them, "let's get back to the matter at hand here! I cannot play a rockin' guitar solo in the middle of a jazz session!"

Laney shook her head, clearly not in the mood for Corey's shenanigans. Kon thought for a moment before offering,

"What if you play it at the end?"

Laney grumbled,

"No," she looked straight at Corey, "no guitar solo, Core. Not happening."

"The beginning?" Kon tried again.

"No solo?" Corey pouted again. Laney waved him off,

"No _guitar_ solo, doofus. Just pick up some brass and solo on that!"

Corey immediately cringed. No. Not that. Anything but that. He obnoxiously groaned, lunging at his best friend, clutching onto her.

"Agh, Lanes! I haven't played the mellophone in, like, three years!"

Laney stared at him with no reaction. She raised an eyebrow, replying,

"_And_?"

Corey paused, attempting to create a counter. He bit his lip,

"Guitar is better?" he tried. Laney rolled her eyes, plucking Corey in the forehead. He fell to the ground with a quiet thump, and Laney sighed.

"This is gonna take some work."

* * *

Corey stared down at the dreadful object in his hand, the nasty-gold color flaking away at his touch.

_I hate this thing. I hate it so much._

He raised it to his lips and blew, an obnoxious bleating abruptly reverberating from the horn. Everyone else in the room rapidly covered their ears. Kin glared over at Corey and the horrible-sounding instrument in his hands.

"Corey, are you _sure_ you played that thing before? 'Cause you coulda fooled me!" he griped, annoyed. Corey stopped, glaring down at the instrument again.

"He's just gotta get back in the groove of things," Laney pointed out, adjusting the strap on her shoulder to her shiny saxophone. Corey fiddled with the keys on his mellophone absentmindedly, muttering,

"Maybe he doesn't _want_ to get back in the groove of things..."

Laney scowled over at him,

"Well, he _better_ get back in the groove of things!" she barked.

Corey gulped.

"Okay, okay," he grimaced. "Geez."

He hastily cleaned the spit valve, trying to keep it off his awesome sneakers. Boy, did he hate this thing. Kon shook his head, telling him,

"You know not to mess with Laney when she's on a mission, Corey!"

"Yeah! You're the one that taught us that!" Kin added, laughing a little. A wiggle of the valve threw droplets on Corey's shoe and he snarled. He threw down the mellophone and stomped his foot on the ground.

"THE MELLOPHONE SUCKS!" he whined loudly, crossing his arms and curling in on himself. Laney groaned just as loudly, irritated.

"I don't have time to teach you a new instrument, Core!" she fussed. "Just..." she turned to him and blinked her big eyes at him, "just do this...for me? Please?"

Corey frowned. _No. I am not doing this. God, I love this band and I sure as hell love Lanes, but I am not going to do this. There has to be another way! There just HAS to be!_

Laney continued blinking at him, clasping her hands together, pleading.

"Aghhhhhhh," he grumbled. "Fine!"

He bent over and grabbed the mellophone, dusting it off. He heard a collective snicker from Kin and Kon and shot a glare over his shoulder at the two of them.

_I think a change in subject is in order,_ he thought.

"So," he started, "how am I gonna have enough air to sing and play this trumpet on steroids?"

Laney rubbed her eye as Kon muttered to his brother, "What's the difference between a trumpet and the trumpet on steroids?" To which, Kin quickly responded, "Different hands, mostly."

"We'll take turns," Laney replied. "Kin and Kon'll do backup and you and me will alternate the lead. Sound fair?"

Corey sighed,

"I'm gonna run out of breath."

Laney turned away, droning,

"Stop complaining and just practice, Core."

Corey sighed again, louder.

"Well...what song are we gonna use?" he asked.

Laney smirked, turning back towards him.

"You _did_ write that song last week while completely spazzed out on coffee..." she remarked.

"I thought it was Red Bull?" Kin asked, confused.

"It was both," Corey corrected before turning back to Laney, "And you said that song was terrible!"

"No, it was just too..._quirky_ for a rock song," she told him, "but for a jazzy tune, it's perfect!"

"That, and it's about coffee and Red Bull," Kin quickly added.

"Exactly," Laney gave him a wink.

Corey sat down and slid off the stage, walking over to the computer-or, specifically, the waste basket under the computer's desk.

_Oh, please let it still be there..._

He bit his lip as he reached down and grabbed the trash can and tucked the stupid instrument under his arm. He dug through the insane amount of chocolate wrappers and gross used tissues before finding the notebook paper he'd thrown in there last week. He threw away the lyrics he wrote when Laney had told him how bad they were. Thank goodness he found them! Laney would have killed him if he didn't have lyrics after all the crap he was already giving her today...

He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and smiled.

"Found it!" he whispered excitedly to himself.

"Got the lyrics, Core?" Laney asked. Corey glanced back at her, shoving the paper in his pocket.

"We're in business, Lanes!" he told her, dropping the trash can unceremoniously to race back to the stage. He clumsily tossed the horn up on stage before jumping up himself. Laney eyed him, her eyes asking why his actions were even necessary. He shrugged with a smile.

He picked up the horn and nodded to Kon. As he counted them in, Corey pulled out the crumpled paper from his pocket. Kin's keyboard played out a low bass tone and Laney blew her sax. Corey read off his lyrics, barely singing,

"...something salty, something sweet..."

He held up the mellophone and bleated an unidentifiable note harshly.

"Something good, but good to eat..."

He went to blow into the horn again, but Laney worked a quick lick from her saxophone and he stared at her.

"Now _that_ was an awesome solo!" he cried, and the music stopped.

Laney smiled a bit at the compliment, but rolled her eyes at him.

"You can solo on your mellophone, Core," she said. "No one's stoppin' you."

Corey whined, softly glaring at his instrument again.

"I can't!" he complained. "It'll sound like a goat being mutilated!"

"It already does," Kin cleverly replied. The twins snickered, and Corey shot them glares for the second time that day before slowly letting out a defeated sigh.

"I know... I suck," he remarked. He eyed Kin's keyboard. "Maybe I could figure out the bass?"

"Core, you hate playing bass," Laney smarted.

Kin nodded, agreeing with her,

"Yeah, and I've already got it covered!" he said.

Corey walked over to him, pushing his mellophone into Kin's hands.

"We can switch!" he exclaimed, running behind the keyboard and pushing Kin to the side. "I can do this!"

Corey pressed a few keys before smashing several at once, filling the room with atrocious, mixed bass tones. Kin rushed back, frantically waving his free arm,

"Stop, _stop_!"

Corey paused, and Kin leaned over, instantly flipping a switch to turn off his keyboard.

"You know I don't do brass. Kon and I are strictly percussionists!" Kin countered, handing the mellophone back to Corey's reluctant hands.

Kon grinned from behind his drum kit,

"I'd love to learn how to play the steroid-trumpet!" he told them happily.

Corey lit up, rushing over to Kon, giving him a hug.

"See that? Someone is actually putting in an effort around here!"

He grabbed Kon's drumsticks and shoved the mellophone into Kon's now empty hands. He pulled Kon to his feet and flopped down on the tiny stool, spinning around with a big grin.

"Let's do this!" he shouted, pumping the drumsticks in the air, attempting to spin one in his hand. It promptly dropped on the high-hat and rolled to the floor.

"You don't know how to play the drums, Core," Laney told him blandly. She really wasn't up for this, was she?

Corey shrugged nonchalantly.

"Can't be that hard," he remarked. "And I can save my breath for singing, too! This'll work great!"

Laney rolled her eyes for the millionth time that day.

"Fine," she grumbled, turning to Kon as he stared at the instrument in his hands. "Kon, you sure you want to do this?"

Kon grinned at her, confidently declaring,

"What is life without living?"

Laney sighed.

"Alright, whatever," she looked down at her sax before glancing back at Kon. "Alright, give me a C so I can set my pitch."

Kon gawked at the mellophone (which was currently upside-down) and then turned his gaze to Laney.

"Uhh," he flipped the instrument over in his hands. "C?"

Laney gave him a knowing look.

"...yes. C."

Kon eyed the instrument again, finding the keys.

"Okay... how do I do that again?"

Laney kept her smirk down, replying,

"Just play any chord and I'll help you."

Kon frowned,

"Chord?"

Laney sighed dramatically, bellowing,

"Corey, this isn't going to work!"

Corey attempted to flip the drumstick in his hand again, succeeding in smacking himself in the face.

"You gotta at least give the guy a chance, Lanes," he remarked.

Laney groaned angrily.

"...fine," she grumbled. "Just play something, Kon."

Kon smiled again,

"Sure!" he cheerily told her before looking back at the mellophone with a confused look. "How does this thing work exactly?"

The collective facepalms around the room gave off a loud smacking noise, accompanied by Corey dropping both sticks on the snare drum. All of this left a very bothered Laney to march over and grab the drumsticks out of Corey's hands.

"Core, _seriously_," she pleaded. "Just play the damn mellophone."

Corey pouted, reaching for the drumsticks.

"But I sound terrible," he whimpered.

Laney pulled the drumsticks further away.

"Not that terrible. Just practice and you'll be great. You were before."

Corey blinked. He wasn't sure he believe that.

"...really?" he asked. Laney glared, turning around again.

"Just get over here!" she shouted.

Corey stood up,

"Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Laney pulled the blasted mellophone from Kon and placed the drumsticks in his hand. Corey picked up the steroid-trumpet and gave Kon a quick thumbs-up.

"Just give me a C so we can get this over with," Laney told him. Corey smiled and bleated out a note reminiscent of a middle C.

* * *

"Ahh..." Trina sighed dreamily, relaxing into the pink bean-bag chair and closing her eyes. Mina moved quickly to make sure her hand didn't move as she applied more nail polish to the next nail.

"Today has been wonderful, Mina," Trina told her. "It's so great being away from Corey and his stupid band."

Mina smiled, happy to hear that Trina was having fun.

"I might just have to move in and stay here forever!"

Mina dropped her hand, but quickly turned back to her makeup kit to make up for it.

"R-really?" Mina asked hesitantly. She'd love for Trina to stay here, but...well, she wasn't sure she could handle so much exposure to Trina. Especially considering...

"No, not _really_, Mina," Trina barked. She sat up and Mina turned back, returning to her nails.

"Somebody has to keep my asshole of a brother at bay, and my parents clearly don't have enough brains between the two of them to do it themselves!"

Mina let out a quick and silent sigh of relief.

"I'm just totes glad to have this little vacation away from him and his shitty friends," Trina scoffed. Mina blew on her hand gently before moving to the next nail.

"And I know he's already up to something today," Trina continued, settling back into the bean-bag, "but I'll let him have this day. Because I deserve a break once in a while. Don't I, Mina?"

"That you do, Trina!" Mina replied happily. After a moment, she glanced back up at Trina, asking,

"But, wait... isn't tomorrow Corey's birthday? Why didn't you just do this tomorrow?"

"Because, _Mina_, Corey doesn't need to get any older! The twerp is close enough to my age as it is! He can stay ten for all I care!"

"Uhh, he's thirteen..." Mina corrected. Trina rolled her eyes,

"Totes don't care, Mina!" she scoffed before lifting her hand to examine her nails.

"Ugh, this nail polish isn't sparkly enough! Mina! Fix it!"

Mina rushed back to her makeup kit and pulled out another bottle of nail polish.

"Right away, Trina!" she told her, grabbing her hand to start over.

* * *

The band set up in front of the new coffee house downtown as the crowd began to grow. Mayor Mellow was already talking up a storm, shaking the hand of a man with a big, red t-shirt that read "Cool J" so it was assumed he must have been Cool J.

Corey took a deep breath.

_I can do this. I totally practiced enough. This'll be just fine. Easy-peasy._

And then the red shirt guy went up to the podium by the mayor and thanked everyone for coming. Next thing he knew, Laney was tugging on his sleeve, telling him we were on.

Corey smiled. He was ready. _Totally ready._

"Hello, Peaceville! Are you ready to rock?!" Corey shouted into the microphone. Mayor Mellow gave them a disapproving glare and Corey bit his lip.

"Uhh...I mean, are you ready to...jazz?" he tried. Mayor Mellow gave them a thumbs-up, and Corey grinned.

"Alright, let's do this!" he shouted, "Count us in, Kon!"

The crowd quieted as the band began to play, and the mayor snapped his fingers to the rhythm.

For the most part, everything went well. Corey tried to blow the horn away from the mic instead of right into it, but he was hitting enough of the notes to be pleased with himself. Laney gave him a wink after her first solo, which was either the cue to finish up with a fast solo or just end the song and be done.

He took a deep breath. He was ready.

He blew into the dreaded object. _F, E flat, F, F, C, drop it down, bring it back to F, F, E flat-_

An unidentifiable bleat screeched from the horn, and Corey pulled away. Everyone within a mile must have been covering their ears. He cringed at the deafening silence that surrounded him.

_Fuck._

He didn't even bother to look back at the band; he just ran.

_Way to go, fucktard! You just screwed the whole band over! God, what is WRONG with you?!_

He fell against a wall in an alleyway, sliding to the dirt-covered ground. He took one glance at the mellophone before chucking it as far as he could.

_Fffuuuccckkk..._


	4. Chapter 4

**My Turn - Chapter Four**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 580**

**Warnings: Some language, awkward hugs**

* * *

**I do not own Grojband. This is a very short chapter. Could I post more? Yes. But I just needed to sum this up really quick before the next chapter. That's where the fun starts. ;)**

* * *

Laney wandered along the block, looking for any sign of her best friend. After that embarrassing screw-up, Corey was bound to have found a dark corner in which to hide and never come out. A muffled sob sounded down an alleyway as she shuffled past. She glanced back, not seeing anything at first.

She took a few steps in, her eyes spying a familiar, orange cap thrown on the ground behind a deserted stoop.

"Corey?" She called out hesitantly. A sniffle stopped and a pair of blue eyes peered out around the stoop.

"Oh, Core..." Laney ran over to him, dropping to her knees next to him.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She asked.

Corey wiped his face on his sleeve and returned to hugging his knees to his chest.

"No," he whimpered into his knees.

Laney frowned, not wanting to see Corey so unhappy. But he wasn't going to leave this filthy place if Laney didn't change that. She inhaled quickly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Core, it's not that bad-"

"Not that-" Corey stopped and looked right at her. "...not that bad? _Not that bad?!_" He pushed her hand away and jumped to his feet, "Lanes, I fucked up in front of everybody! I just made Grojband look we don't know what we're doing-"

"And that's_ fine_, Core," Laney told him, staring up at him seriously. "It's okay."

Corey blinked, just staring back at Laney with a confused expression.

"Wha...but, aren't you mad at me?" He asked.

Now it was Laney's turn to look confused.

"What?" She asked right back. "What are you talking about?"

Corey just continued to give her his signature look that simply read "I have no idea what to say right now." Laney stood up, folding her arms.

"Why would I be mad?" She inquired, leaning forward to keep his gaze.

"Well..." Corey started, glancing around, "I don't know. Because you're in charge here, and I screwed up?"

Laney shook her head,

"Dude, it doesn't matter! We're still best friends. Nothing will change that," she told him. "We all mess up sometimes, Core."

Corey frowned, not feeling any better. Laney smiled, trying again.

"Remember that time when Kin started playing the wrong song at that beach party gig?" She said. "Or, or when I bumped my amp at the home and garden show concert and my bass was so loud, it cracked, like, all the windows in the whole building?"

Corey smiled,

"That was actually really funny..."

"See? In a week, we're all just gonna look back at this and laugh it off," Laney told him with a grin. Corey stepped forward and just hugged her. Laney froze for a moment, but steadily reached her arms around his middle, hugging back. Laney sighed happily to herself until a few more moments passed and they were still in each others' arms.

"Uhm," Laney choked out. Corey let go and stepped back again. Laney fought back the frown threatening to ruin this memory.

"Uhh, yeah," he bit his lip. "We should, uhh..."

"Head back?" Laney finished. "Yeah, probably."

She glanced down at Corey's cap lying on the ground before bending down to pick it up.

She grinned and handed it to Corey who took it graciously, quickly fitting it on his head.

"Thanks," he breathed.

Laney nodded, smile still present on her face.

"No problem, Core."


	5. Chapter 5

**My Turn - Chapter Five**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 5075**

**Warnings: A LOT OF VULGAR LANGUAGE (mostly at the end), a rather violent debate, some characters being humiliated**

* * *

**I do not own Grojband.**

**My current cover art is brought to you by kittykittymeowcat on tumblr! IF YOU WANNA MAKE COVER ART FOR THE STORY, I'LL BE SWITCHING IT UP EVERY COUPLE OF CHAPTERS! I WILL CREDIT YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH!**

**Now, on with the story! I'm sorry this chapter is so freakin' long! I cut out some parts to shorten it, but it's still long as heck! It's still good, though; I promise!**

**Quick Edit: COREY AND TRINA'S PARENTS ARE MENTIONED IN THIS STORY. NOTHING HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THE SHOW OTHER THAN THAT THEY HAVE A DAD, SO DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING SAID IN THIS STORY AS CANON! THAT IS ALL!**

* * *

The day was finally here. Corey was up early, running down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he found a big box of Banana Wickies.

An enormous grin spread across his face as he picked up the box and shook it.

"Oh, sweet banana-y goodness..." He whispered to himself. He dashed to the cupboard and pulled out a bowl and rushed over to the fridge for milk. He pulled out a carton, noticing the neon blue post-it barely sticking to its side. He quickly plucked it off and walked back to the table. The note simply read "curfew-free tonight." He smiled.

_Dad knows just how to make my day..._ He thought.

He popped open the box of cereal and poured a heaping mound into his bowl. Just as he was about to set it back down, he noticed another blue post-it note on the bottom of the box. He plucked it off just like the last one.

"P.S." he read aloud, "Check the garage."

He grabbed the milk, pulling it open and pouring it over his cereal until pieces began to fall off and onto the table.

_Today is going to be a great day._

* * *

Corey hopped down the steps into the garage, glancing around to see what he was supposed to find. Just as he walked off the last step, a loud "SURPRISE" was exclaimed from the three people he knew best, all jumping out from behind the dusty, old couch.

He smiled,

"Hey, guys! You got here pretty early."

Laney came up and gave him a big hug.

"Happy 14th, Core! Feelin' older?" She remarked with a smirk.

Kin and Kon ran forward and shouted "Happy Birthday" in unison while throwing handfuls of confetti up in the air to land on all of them. Corey laughed and Kon turned back before holding out a small cupcake to him.

"Ooh..." Corey stared down at it. "Red velvet?"

"With cream cheese frosting and fourteen blue sprinkles," Laney told him.

"Aw, thanks, guys!" Corey smiled at them, pulling the three of them into a big hug.

"I didn't think you guys would be here 'til the party started," he remarked, letting go.

"Please, you'd never get anything set up without us," Laney scoffed playfully. "Oh, Kon," she turned around, "give him the thing."

Kon paused before remembering, running back over to the couch.

"Oh, yeah!" He said excitedly, pulling out a box with a ribbon attached. "We found this when we came in!"

He tossed the large box to Corey and he caught it, flipping it over.

"A Gamestation 4?!" He grinned widely again. "This must be what Dad got me! Awesome!"

"You wanna set it up and play before we get the party goin'?" Laney offered. Kin and Kon high-fived.

"It _does_ come with a few games," Corey looked at the box again. "Let's do it!"

* * *

After about two and a half hours of what Kin referred to as "extreme gaming," the gang headed outside to start setting up for Corey's awesome birthday party. Kon and Laney pushed a couple tables out from storage and into the backyard, and Kin and Corey set up an improvised stage for all their band's equipment. Corey clipped up the band's logo banner to the back poles and jumped down to admire it.

"This is gonna be one hell of a party, guys," he said to no one in particular.

Kin smiled,

"That's the plan," he replied, plugging in the speakers on the side of the stage. He looked over to see Kon spreading a red tablecloth out on the table closest to the back door and Laney placing a big pitcher of lemonade down on top of it.

"LEMONADE!" Kin screeched, rushing over to the table to admire it.

"You really made some?" Kin asked, staring at the pitcher in complete awe. "I can't believe it! You actually made some!"

Laney rolled her eyes with a smirk, heading back inside for glasses and bendy straws. By the time she had returned, the boys were all sitting around the table, talking amongst themselves.

"Well, it could have been worse," Kon spoke up, glancing back at Laney and smiling as she placed some the cups. Kin instantly reached for one, pouring himself a glass first.

"Yeah," Kin continued their conversation. "At least it kinda sounded like you did it on purpose. Kinda."

Corey rolled his eyes, challenging,

"How do you know I _didn't_ do it on purpose?"

Kon grabbed the pitcher from his brother and got himself a glass of lemonade, as well, replying simply,

"Because you ran away right after."

Corey frowned, pretending not to let that fact bother him.

"Yeah, so?" he challenged again, stealing the pitcher from Kon. "That doesn't prove anything."

"Sure it doesn't, Core," Laney laughed. Corey paused and leaned over the table to pour the beverage into her cup before returning to fill up his own.

"It just proves that I'm awesome is all," he smirked. Laney sat down and smiled.

"Whatever you say."

Laney turned to Kin and Kon, changing the subject.

"So, where do you want to put the decorations? Here, or on the stage?"

"Ehh, we should probably keep the stage clear for when Corey decides to rock out, like he always does."

"Oh, yeah! I gotta go get my guitar!" Corey jumped up and ran over to the stage.

"Like I said," Kin told them, "keep the stage clear."

Corey ran up to his guitar case, opening it up and pulling out his favorite instrument in the world. He plugged in the amp cord and sat on the edge of the stage, picking at the strings.

"You already plugged in his amp?" Laney asked Kin as the backyard filled with sound. Kin simply nodded his head.

"Didn't want a repeat of last year's fiasco," he added.

Corey jumped down from the stage and laid flat on his back in the grass, continuing to strum his guitar.

"Good call," Laney commented, watching Corey.

The rest of the them eventually got back to work, bringing out blue and orange decorations (Corey's proclaimed favorite colors) to fasten up along the back of the house and around the table they'd already brought up. Corey, however, just laid in the grass, eyes closed and a big smile plastered on his face as he strummed his guitar steadily.

Laney and the twins ran around the backyard, putting up another table and setting up more and more decorations. Kin made his way back to the stage, plugging in Laney's iPod to the big speakers for some music as guests started to arrive.

Corey's fangirls-he preferred they not be called 'groupies' because it freaked him out-showed up, walking past the fence door into the backyard and dispensing ridiculously-large gift boxes on a nearby table before rushing over to their favorite boy, the one still lying in the grass with his feet propped up on the side of the stage.

"Ahh! Corey! Happy birthday!" Kate and Allie simultaneously screamed at him.

He opened his eyes, smile ever present.

"Gee, thanks, guys!" He replied, slowly sitting up. The fence door creaked open, revealing Nick Mallory and his little brother, Mick. Corey turned and waved at them ecstatically. He slid his guitar onto the stage and jumped up to grab the microphone.

"HI, NICK!" He shouted to him, waving again. Nick merely smiled and gave a quick wave back. Shortly after, Mina walked in, glancing around nervously before actually entering the backyard. Finding the coast clear, she quickly walked over to the stage, handing Corey an envelope.

"Uhh, happy birthday, Corey," she told him, giving a genuine smile. Corey smiled back, putting the mic back on its stand.

"Thanks, Mina!" He replied. "Let me guess-don't tell Trina?"

Mina quickly nodded, adding,

"I doubled the amount this time; just don't spend it all in one place."

"Pfft!" Corey laughed. "Yeah, right!"

He jumped down from the stage, just in time for his pink-haired sister to stomp through the back door.

"I heard Nick Mallory's dreamy voice! Where is he? Where is hunky Nick Mallory?!" She shouted, instantly sighting Mina. She jogged over, and demanded she tell her where Nick was.

Mina cowered a moment before pointing a quick finger towards the punch bowl. Trina immediately flipped around, swooning and skipping her way over to Nick.

Mina wiped the sweat from her forehead, breathing again.

"That was close," she muttered to herself. Corey stepped over and placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"If you're gonna stay this time, you should try to enjoy yourself," he told her. "There'll be cake!"

Mina nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed, "I'll, uhh, go...do that."

And she was gone, quickly retreating to Trina's side. Corey cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. Soon, more and more people filled his backyard, taking up the tables and adding to the ever-growing pile of gifts.

Corey wandered over to Mick, asking for a high-five. Mick smoothly jumped up and high-fived Corey's hand with ease.

"Thanks for comin', man! It's great to see you!" Corey told him. Mick winked in response before walking past him. Corey shrugged and made his way over to Nick and Trina by the punch bowl.

"Hi, Nick!" He smiled, laughing as Trina immediately glared at him.

"Hey, Corey," Nick replied. "Nick Mallory definitely thinks this is a great party."

Corey laughed,

"Thanks, man!" He responded. "So...what'd ya get me?"

Nick smirked, shooting his arm across his shoulders.

"Nick got Corey an official Nick Mallory side-hug," he told him with a wink. Corey laughed,_ This is guy is hilarious._ Then, Trina pulled him away, shoving him away from Nick and taking his place under his extended arm. Corey rolled his eyes, completely unsurprised.

"Really, Trina?" He grumbled. She shooed him away, staring at Nick dreamily.

Corey sighed, annoyed, and moved on. Mina quietly apologized, but he waved her off. As he walked away, Trina glared pointedly at her.

"Mina, what do you think you're doing?" She scowled. Mina gulped, turning back to face her.

"I was just...uhh..." She stammered. Nick put his hand back in his jacket pocket and Trina frowned deeply.

"Now, look what you've done!" She exclaimed. Mina opened her mouth to apologize, but Trina covered it with her hand.

"Corey totes does not deserve all this attention! I should be, like, the most important person here-besides Nick Mallory, of course!" Trina explained. She spied Corey talking to his bandmates and smirked evilly.

"And I think I've got a way to fix that."

* * *

Laney picked up the first present from the top of the pile, handing it to Kon, who then handed it to Kin, who then handed it to Corey. He smiled and ripped through the wrapping paper to find a bike helmet adorned with flames.

"Ah, cool!" He marvelled before setting it down to take the next box. He opened it up to find a paintball gun.

"Sweet!" He exclaimed, picking up the next box he was handed. This one was some cool sunglasses. Next, a Bubble Bunch box set.

"Aw, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" He hugged the dvd case to his face before setting it aside, as well. Twenty-one boxes, five hugs, and a case of his favorite root beer later, and he smiling like the dork he was as his bandmates slowly held out the final gifts.

"This one's from Kon and _Yours Truly_," Kin told him as he handed him the wrapped present. Corey gladly took it, quickly ripping off the paper to find a blue notebook.

"What's this?" He asked.

Kon pulled out a mechanical pencil and placed it on top of the book in Corey's hands.

"It's for lyrics, Corey!" Kon told him. Kin smiled, explaining,

"Even when you _do_ write good lyrics, you tend to forget 'em. Having a lyric journal should fix that!"

Corey smiled, replying,

"Wow! Thanks, guys!" He paused, making a face. "Wait, what did you say?"

Laney pushed past Kin and Kon and shoved her gift into Corey's hands.

"Open mine, Core!" She exclaimed, saving the twins from their screw-up. Corey flipped over the small box before tearing through the wrapping paper. He opened the lid to find a fabric wristband.

"Whoa! Official Grojband merch!" He pulled it out of the box, promptly donning it on his wrist and showing it to everyone at the table.

"Did you_ make_ this, Lanes?!" He asked, admiring it with wide eyes.

Laney blushed, rubbing her arm. She smiled, clearly happy to know Corey loved her present.

"Well, yeah..." She responded. "I mean, my mom helped _a little_ after the eleventh try, but-"

"It's AWESOME!" He reached forward and pulled her into a big hug, stretching his arm past her to let Kin and Kon see the gift, too. They both stared down at it with wide smiles.

"That _is_ awesome!" Kon noted, ogling the wristband.

Trina steamed as she watched Corey sift through his gifts and show them off to everyone. She stewed as he cut into the triple-layered cake Laney had made him for the party, and watched in disgust as he started shoving an enormous piece of it right into his mouth. Finally, she'd had enough.

"MINA!" She shouted, and Mina scurried to her side.

"Yes, Trina?" She asked hesitantly. Trina smirked,

"Go get ready," she ordered simply, turning towards the stage. She climbed up and grabbed the microphone off its stand.

"Hello, all of Corey's loser friends!" She yelled, giggling to herself, and then turned to Nick and his brother, adding, "And gorgeous Nick Mallory, of course!"

Corey and Laney turned their heads, watching Trina giggle annoyingly.

_What is Trina up to now?_ Corey eyed his sister, standing up to walk toward the stage.

"I'm sure you all know," she continued, "that the real reason you're, like, all here is because_ I_ am-"

Trina screeched as Corey popped up on the stage, bumping his sister away from his mic with his hip.

"And, I think that's enough of that!" Corey said into the microphone, smirking as his sister got back to her feet.

"I say it's time to jam!" He shouted, leaning forward to grab his guitar. The crowd cheered and the rest of the band ran up to join him on the stage.

"Thanks so much for the heads-up," Kin sarcastically remarked, scrambling to unplug Laney's iPod and flip on his keyboard.

"Let's do the number from the beach party, guys!" Corey told them over his shoulder. They all nodded, prepping their instruments.

"Count us in, Kon!" Corey exclaimed, and Kon put his drumsticks together.

Trina covered her ears and marched off the stage as her brother's band played. She stomped over to the punch bowl where Mina was waiting.

"Is it ready?" She growled. Mina nodded frantically.

"Extra ice, extra dye, extra water. It's all there!" Mina reported. Trina glared at her brother and picked up the enormous bowl.

"Good," she breathed out, stomping back towards the stage. She steadied herself as she walked up the steps and crept over to her brother. With one, fluid motion, she hoisted the bowl up and dumped its contents on Corey's head.

"Agh! What the hell, Trina?!" He groaned, leaning away from his mic. Trina tossed the bowl on the ground.

"Aw, what happened?" She pouted sarcastically, "Did you have a little accident?"

Trina let out another roaring laugh as Corey pulled off his guitar, the music stopping as he wiped it with what parts of his sleeve were dry.

"Why'd you even-" he stopped, looking up at his sister. "Why are you being such an ass, Trina? I haven't even done anything to you!"

Trina glared at him, angrily replying,

"Oh, like, _haven't_ you?! Having this big party and getting all this attention-"

"It's my_ birthday_, Trina!" Corey defended, "What am I supposed to do? Not get older every year?"

Trina folded her arms across her chest, growling,

"Yes!"

Corey sighed, handing Laney his guitar. He glared back at his sister, stating,

"That makes no sense."

Trina scoffed,

"It totes doesn't matter if you're too stupid to understand, Corey. The point is, STOP!" She shouted, and then briskly walked off the stage.

Corey eyed her suspiciously before turning back to the band.

"Do I look absolutely terrible? Or can we keep playing?"

Laney wiped off his guitar, replying,

"You don't look too bad. Just watch your step."

She handed him back his guitar and he walked back up to the microphone.

"You'll have to excuse my sister," he told the crowd. "She's got a few screws loose and nobody's figured out how to put 'em back yet."

The band went back to playing and Trina went back to scowling.

"It didn't work, Mina! He was supposed to get mad and tell everyone to go away!" Trina scowled, stomping her foot. Mina fiddled with her fingers.

"Maybe just because it'd work on you doesn't mean it'd work on him?" She offered.

Trina pushed past her.

"No way, Mina. We're related. That means he, like, gets humiliated just as easy as I do!" She remarked.

"Mina!" She shouted, turning around. Mina ran to her side.

"How fast can you make a slingshot?" She asked, the evil gleam returning to her eyes. Mina nodded,

"I'm on it!" She exclaimed and rushed off.

* * *

Corey strummed his guitar as they finished another song. He turned back to Laney and the guys, smiling.

"I don't know about you, but I could go for some more cake!" He joked.

Laney rolled her eyes, but relented.

"Alright, let's go," she told them. Corey took off his guitar and set it on top of its case as the others rushed off the stage and to the slowly-diminishing tower of cake.

"Hey, _Corey_~" He heard a voice ring out and turned, only to have a small piece of cake splatter across his chest. He frowned, looking around to find his sister, laughing and holding a slingshot covered in frosting.

He glared over at her.

"Trina!" He shouted, "Why would you waste perfectly good cake like that?!"

Another piece splattered on his shirt and he grumbled before jumping down from the stage. He really didn't want to deal with Trina's stupid shenanigans today. He walked towards the back door to the house, calling to Laney that he'd be right back before going inside.

He pulled off his shirt and threw it in the laundry room and headed upstairs to retrieve a new one.

_Trina is dead-set on pissing me off, isn't she?_ He wondered, entering his room. He paused before grabbing another shirt from his dresser. Sure enough, Trina's maniacal laugh could still be heard.

_She really _has_ lost it..._

He pulled off his hat, checking it for stains, but it was as orange as ever. He smiled and pulled on the t-shirt and refitted the cap on his head.

_Trina can try all she wants, but she can't get to this cool dude!_ He thought with a smirk.

Corey walked back downstairs, checking the door before stepping out. He glanced up at the stage, noticing Kin and Kon enjoying some cake. He scanned the crowd for Laney, absently fiddling with his new wristband. He walked towards the now-smaller cake, not finding Laney but Trina.

"Yep, it's really sad!" Trina smirked, talking to Kate and Allie. "A _true_ friend wouldn't pay people to be in his band!"

Corey ran over to them,

"Trina! What-what are you doing?!" He asked, half-shocked by her new tactic. _She is so determined today._

"Oh, don't worry, Corey!" She snidely replied. "I'm just making sure your stupid fans hate you!"

Corey glared her down, but she didn't waver.

"What's your plan here, Trina? Piss me off and turn everyone against me?" He asked. Trina scoffed, turning away.

"Well, it won't work!" He told her. "It's my birthday, so people don't care what you say! I'm not crazy, like_ somebody_ I know; I'm actually rather charming."

"Ugh, don't make me, like, barf, or whatever," Trina responded. "I'm just giving everyone a better view of who you really are-"

"By_ lying_ to everyone?!"

"By spreading stupid gossip and junk, duh," Trina scoffed. "Mina is totes a psychology buff. I'm gonna be the center of attention here, no matter what it takes!"

Corey's eyes narrowed. _She wants attention?_ He smirked. Oh, he could certainly arrange that. He watched as Trina laughed and walked away. Just then, Laney rushed up to him.

"Core!" She called, "Please tell me you just told off Trina, because she's been going around here, sayin-"

"Yeah, I'm handling it," Corey stopped her. "Where'd she even come up with that idea, anyway? Like I'd even be able to pay you guys to be in the band..."

Laney tilted her head a bit,

"Uhh..." She started, "that's not what she was saying to Tom and Sean from school."

"Huh?" Corey gave her a confused look. "Well, what was she saying?"

"You know...other stupid crap, like..." she glanced away, ..."how we were only friends with you...because we felt sorry for you, or, uhh, something like that?"

"WHAT?!" Corey eyed Trina in the crowd again. She laughed that obnoxious laugh again and glared at him over her shoulder.

"Oh, she is _not_ getting away with this!"

"What're you gonna do?" Laney asked.

Corey smirked.

"Would you mind refilling the punch bowl?" He asked, turning to her. Laney smirked, understanding completely.

"Just make sure everybody sees it!" She told him, heading back inside the house.

"Oh, I will..." Corey smiled to himself.

_Challenge accepted, Trina._

* * *

Trina climbed back on the stage, hissing at the twins to scram before grabbing the microphone again and grinning at the crowd below.

"Heehee! Hello, like, again, everybody!" She shouted, her voice rattling the speakers. "I just want to..." She paused, noticing her brother making his way to the stage. "I want to, like, wish _Corey_ a happy birthday!"

She grinned widely and Corey stopped, confused.

_What the hell-?_

"Too bad you won't ever be as, like, intelligent and gorgeous as your beautiful and uber-pretty sister, Trina," she continued, "but I'm totes sure your ugly will go away eventually! Or _never_!"

She laughed noisily and Corey ran up on stage, pulling the mic away from Trina.

"What do you think you're doing?" Corey hissed, glancing back to see Laney sneaking up to the stage with the punch bowl.

"What does it look like? It's totes sabotage," she replied, grinning and folding her arms. "Duh!"

"Well, knock it off!" Corey responded. Trina just let out another obnoxious laugh, saying,

"No way! I'm just getting started!"

Laney balanced the bowl as she made her way up the steps of the stage. Corey glanced back to her and then looked back at his sister.

"I'm givin' you an out here, Trina," Corey warned. "Step away now and I'll spare you!"

Trina looked at him, amused,

"You'll spare me?" She mocked. "Please, like I need it!"

Corey shook his head,

"You hear that, Lanes?" He shouted past his sister. "She says she needs it!"

"Aye-aye," Laney grinned, and Trina turned around.

Laney smirked and flipped over the large punch bowl, dousing Trina in the red liquid. Trina let out a loud gasp,

"Ahh! My clothes!" She screamed, "My hair!"

She growled and turned back to her smiling brother.

"How dare you!" She growled. Corey smirked.

"What are you gonna do about it?" He dared. Trina was practically fuming already, and stepped forward.

"You-" Trina paused, thinking. "Ugh!" Then she grinned again. "Well...! _Well_, at least I'm not a goldfish killer!"

"Hey! That was years ago!" Corey defended. "And taken completely out of context!"

"In case none of you, like, heard," Trina shouted to the crowd, smiling, "Corey's music totes kills fish, and, like, any animals that get near it!"

A collective gasp and Corey glared at his sister.

_Oh, you wanna play dirty? So be it, Trina!_

"Well, at least I'm not a bed-wetter!"

Trina gasped, gaping at him.

"That's not true!" She shouted.

"Oh, isn't it?" Corey raised an eyebrow.

Trina's eyes narrowed and Corey just smirked.

"If you give up now, you can still save face," he told her, stepping forward to grin victoriously and piss her off.

"Oh, this isn't over!" Trina grumbled. She quickly turned around, screeching, "MINA! BLACKMAIL #0961! ON STAGE!_ NOW_!"

A yelp and a ruffling noise sounded from the crowd as Mina shoved her way towards the edge of the stage. She opened her purse, pulling out multiple objects before finding a projector. She grabbed a billfold and pulled out a picture, shoving it into the projector.

"Sorry, Corey," she whispered to him before flipping the projector on.

A blurry photo displayed on the band's banner, what appeared to be a much-younger Corey in a yellow dress, trying to hide his face from whoever had taken the picture. A few people laughed, and Trina nodded triumphantly.

Corey groaned. _Seriously? She really wants to do this?!_

"It's okay to have a feminine side, Corey," Trina joked. Corey's eyes narrowed, and he snapped his fingers. Kate and Allie threw a familiar stuffed animal up to him.

"Mister Mooseface!" Trina screamed.

"Oh, that's_ right_!" Corey chuckled, waving the toy around. "This is that stuffed moose that you still sleep with at night, isn't it?"

Trina growled, eyeing the crowd as the laughter grew louder.

"Well," she hissed. She glared down at Mina, looking for something else to use on Corey. Her face brightened with an idea, and pointed at him, blurting out,

"Well, y-you're a kiss virgin!"

"...no," Corey countered, his face turning red, "you're thinking of _you_!"

Trina gasped as the crowd continued to laugh.

"That is so not true!" she barked back. She bit her lip, glancing around the stage. This wasn't working; she needed something to use and she needed it right now. Her eyes darted back to Corey and his hat.

"_Perfect_," she muttered. Trina rushed forward and pushed Corey down. His back splattered against the sticky punch that was still on the stage.

"Well, it's _your_ fault that Mom left!"

Corey sat up, instantly angry.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" he shouted.

Trina crossed her arms.

"I can't do that! It's the _truth_!" she grinned.

Corey growled menacingly, and pounced up to tackle Trina to the ground.

"TAKE IT BACK!" he exclaimed in her face. Trina put up her hands, pushing Corey away.

"NO!" she screamed back. "IT'S TRUE! IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A PAIN IN THE ASS, MOM WOULD'VE STAYED!"

Corey pulled at her hair, trying to avoid her clawing hands.

"IF-IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A BITCH, MOM WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY LOVED YOU!"

Trina kneed him in the stomach, and Corey let go, grunting in pain. Trina fumed, already seeing red. She stomped over and grabbed Corey's neck, pushing down on him as he kicked at her.

"IF YOUR MOM WASN'T SUCH A WHORE AND JUST KEPT IT IN HER GRODY PANTS, EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FUCKING PERFECT!" she shouted. Corey reached up and pulled her hands away, elbowing her in the face.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" he screamed at her. Corey pulled back, kicking at Trina, but she moved back, getting to her knees.

"YOUR SLUT OF A MOTHER DID NOTHIN' BUT MAKE FUCKING MISTAKES-" she screeched, pouncing at him again. "THE BIGGEST ONE BEING_ YOU_!"

"AGH!" Corey cried out, covering his face as she clawed at him. He tried to move away, but she kept scratching at him. He pushed a knee at her stomach like she had done to him, but she just kept going. He tried grabbing her wrist to make her stop, shouting back,

"AT LEAST MY MOM LOVED ME! SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO FUCKIN' BRIBE ME WITH DUMBASS TOYS ALL THE TIME!"

Trina growled, grabbing at Corey's hat. He reached up to pull it down and she scratched at his eye.

"THAT'S WHAT REAL MOMS DO FOR THEIR PERFECT DAUGHTERS, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" she screamed at him, but he pushed back. "BUT YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOUR MOM WAS NEVER FUCKING THERE!"

Corey kicked harder, aiming for her chest.

"FUCK YOU!" he yelled and she stumbled back. He fumbled with his cap and wiped at his eye. Trina broiled, launching at him again, shouting,

"THE ONLY THING YOU GOT FROM THAT BITCH WAS THAT FUCKING HAT! THAT SHOWS JUST HOW MUCH SHE FUCKING LOVED YOU, YOU LITTLE-"

That was the last straw. Corey fumed, his fists clenched.

"AAGHHHHHHHH-"

Within seconds, the new lyric journal Kin and Kon got him, a mechanical pencil, and fire in his eyes just appeared. He could just feel everything flooding from his veins and onto the pages.

_TRINA DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING!_ He shuddered, his hands starting to shake. He grabbed onto the pen and paper tightly. Out sputtered direct lines of lyrics, music filling his head, slowly blocking out Trina's jeers and claims.

Almost too quickly, it all stopped. Next thing Corey knew, he was sitting on the edge of the stage with his new lyric journal lying in the grass in front of him. His heart was racing, like he'd just ran a marathon, and he felt a little dizzy. He glanced up, noticing how dreadfully quiet it had gotten.

Laney and the twins peered at one another, looks of complete shock exchanged between them. Trina had an expression of something between anger, hurt, and victory on her face.

_What just happened?_ Corey wondered to himself.

"What just happened?" Laney wondered aloud.

* * *

**Please don't hate me.**


	6. Chapter 6

**My Turn - Chapter Six**

**Pairing: Corney**

**Word Count: 926**

**Warnings: None this chapter**

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**I do not own Grojband. A special shoutout to an0na-m0use, buttcheks, and kittykittymeowcat on tumblr for making cover art of this fic for me to use! And another special shoutout to my readers in Guam and Jamaica! There are a whole lot of you, and I think that's awesome! Thanks for reading and reviewing so much, everyone! Now, on with the story!**

* * *

Trina laughed maniacally as the crowd began to group off again and slowly dissipate. Mina quickly ran over to Nick, but she stopped in her tracks before she could say anything when she felt Trina glaring daggers into the back of her head.

Nick shrugged, heading towards the fence door that a few people had started to leave through already.

"Nick Mallory doesn't dig scary sibling brawls. Nick's out."

Hearing that, the yard cleared out quickly, leaving a dazed Corey, his three, very concerned friends, a nervous Mina, and an angry, grimacing Trina.

"No! Nick! Come back!" Trina exclaimed, running to the fence door. "Pay attention to me, Nick!"

Mina rushed after Trina, closing the fence door behind them.

Laney glanced at the twins and then turned back to Corey, walking up to him cautiously. She slowly waved a hand in front of the dazed teen's face. He didn't react.

"So, am I seeing things, or did Corey just _go diary_?" Kin finally piped up.

Kon bent down and picked up the lyric journal off the ground, remarking,

"This doesn't look like a diary to me..."

Kin walked over, taking the journal from his brother's hands, interesting to see what was inside. He flipped it open the the first page.

"Holy-"

Kon leaned over, scanning the page over his brother's shoulder.

"Whoa!"

"What? What is it?" Corey asked, snapping out of his unusual trance and jumping down from the stage to walk up to them.

"Now, _these_ are some awesome lyrics!" Kin laughed, flipping to the next page, a wide grin on his face. Laney walked over, glancing over his shoulder, too.

"I always knew you had it in ya, Core," Laney grinned. Corey took the lyric journal in his hands and flipped through the filled pages.

"Wow..." He breathed. _Kon wasn't kidding! These lyrics are incredible._ He scanned the next page. _Did I really write this?_

It had everything for a complete song, including how long his vox solo should be. He was so in awe, looking at the lyrics and hearing the beginnings of an incredible song run through his head.

The song was about how terrible his sister was, in not-so-many words. It made sense, considering the situation, but something felt wrong.

Corey groaned as he realized what it was.

"I didn't mean to blow up at Trina like that..." he breathed. The band stared at him with confused looks.

"What?!" Laney blurted out, "Are you _kidding_, Core? She was terrible to you up there!"

"Yeah," Kin agreed, "and it's not like you really did anything bad! Pulled some hair, said some words, wrote some sick lyrics-"

"They are pretty sick, aren't they?" Corey grinned, looking back down at the journal.

"So, don't worry about your sister," Laney told him, elbowing his side playfully. "She deserved much, much worse than that!"

Corey tried to laugh, but felt himself frowning again as the other three nodded, agreeing. He turned to Laney, replying,

"No, no. Trina's terrible and all, but I definitely shouldn't have said that stuff to her. Regardless of what she said to me...or that she only said that stuff to piss me off...or that she started this whole thing..."

Laney and the twins rolled their eyes, grumbling in disagreement. Corey folded his arms across his chest, continuing,

"Oh, come on, guys! It's not like she's the spawn of Satan, or something!" He paused. "At least...I don't think so..."

He narrowed his eyes, trying to back up his claim.

"We're not sayin' that, Core," Laney remarked. "But Trina should at least apologize for what she did, or something, you know?"

"Nah, she'd never apologize to me," Corey grinned. "I know her too well."

"Well...at least you got awesome lyrics out of it all," Kon smiled, bringing the mood back up. Corey smiled back,

"That _is_ true..."

"Why don't we try the song out?" Kin offered. Laney smiled,

"That's a great idea! Come on!"

The band made their way back up to the stage, and Laney handed the mic over to Corey. Opening his new journal, he smirked,

"Alright, count us in, Kon!"

- **(imagine a punk/rock-ish song about how some people freakin' suck monkey butt here)** -

After an incredible-but-short jam session, the four of them cleaned up what they could of the backyard before resorting to downing the remaining lemonade and birthday cake and then heading back inside to play some more video games.

Sitting on the couch, waiting while Kin and Kon made themselves another batch of popcorn, Laney turned to Corey.

"I gotta say," she told him, "I'm proud of you. Your lyrics were awesome, Core."

Corey glanced over at her, smiling,

"Aw, thanks, Lanes," he replied, reaching his arm around her neck to pull her into a side-hug.

"I just feel bad that you had to go through something so rough to get all that out," Laney added, frowning at him. Corey shook his head, dismissing her.

"If it makes the band better, I would sacrifice every inch of sanity I have," he replied. "Anything to make us famous!"

And with that, he let her go. Laney frowned from the loss of contact, but then eyed him a moment,

"Uhh, Core?" she questioned, "I don't think that'd be such a good idea-"

He put up his hand, stopping her.

"I'd do it, Lanes. For the band. Period," he remarked. "I already said it. No changin' my mind now."

* * *

**I'm sorry it's so short! The next few chapters should make up for that, though!**


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